Steering mechanism for motor-vehicles.



D. U. LUGE. STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED NOV.9,1910.

1,01 6,838. I I Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

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, ermaine uncnnnrsu For. ilo'roavnmcnns.

' Specification ofLette rs latent,

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

- Application filed November 9,- 1e1o. Serial 1%. 591,510.

To all uihom it may concern anism for Motor-Vehicles, &c., of .which the following is a specification.

This inve tion relates to mechanism for imparting motion from a manually operated controller such as a steering lever or hand wheel held by the operator to a steering wheel or wheelsforming a part or parts of the runnin' gear of a motor vehicle such as a. 'm'otorfincycle having one steering wheel, or an automobile having two steering wheels, the mechanism having provisions for automatically locking the steering wheel or wheels against displacement by obstacles'on the track on which the vehicle-is running. It is well known that a sudden resistance to the forward movement of a steering wheel, is liable to suddenly check its forward movement, so that motion is transmitted from the steering wheel back to the controller tending to cause a temporary loss of control ofth e' latter by the operator.

My invention has for its object to rovide a simple, durable and eifective mec anical contrivance for automatically; looking a steering wheel against relative backward movement when it encounters an obstacle on the track,

without interference with the usual functions of the mechanism which imparts steer ng movementsfrom the controll'er to the steering wheel or wheels.

Theinvention consists in the improve-.

ments which I.will now proceed to describe and claim.

Qf the accompanying drawings which form a part of this spec1fication,-Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a part of the of the, steering steering axle of an automobile, a partof one wheels thereof, and mechanism. embodying my invention for trans ler (not shown movements from a controlto the steering wheel; F" 2 represents a front elevation-of the ax e arm on which the steering wheel shown by 1 is mounted and the hub which carries said axle-arm; Fig. 3 represents in mitting steerin front elevationthe said axle arm and hub, a

.portion of'the steeringaxle, and parts of the motion transmitting mechanism, other parts of said mechanism being shown in section; Fi 4: represents a 860131011 on line ofigvl, parts shown by the last' sents asectifon on-line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig; 6 represents a section on'line 6-6 of Fig. 4; Fi 7 represents a top plan view of the unloc ing cup hereinafter referred to; Fig. 8 represents a perspective sectional 'view of named figure being omitted; Fig. 5 repre- Be it known that I, Don CURTIS Luca, of Boston,,in the countyjof Sufiolk and State I of-Massachusetts, have invented certain new and 'useful' Improvements in Steering Mechthe cam portion of the axle armhub; Fig.

9 represents a perspective -viewof the unlocking cup; Fig. 10 represents a perspective view, of one of the roll-pressing springs hereinafter referred to; and Fig. 11 represents a section on line 1111 of Fig. 4.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts'in all the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents a carrying member here shown as a collar afiixed to the steering axle 13 of an automobile, said member being provided with bearings, here shown as formed in earsor brackets 14:, 15,

in which a spindle 16 is adapted to be turned or partially rotated by a hand manipulated cont-roller (not shown) such as a I lever ora hand wheel, connected with the spindle through suitable intermediate means which, as here shown,- include a lever 17 attached to the spindle and a rod 18 suitably connected with the lever and with the controller. i

19 represents a hub or collar which is mounted to turn or partially rotate on the spindle 16, said hub bein nected with a steering whee 20. When'my invention is adapted to an automobile the hub 19 is provided with an axle arm 21 on which the steerin 'wheel 20 rotates. The hub 19 is provided at its lower end portion with a series of bisymmetrical or double cams 22 (Fig. 8,) and between these cams with aseries of radial arms 23.

24 represents a locking cup which issupported by the arm or bracket 15 and is detachably engaged therewith so that it cannot rotate, by means of a tongue 25 on the bottom of the cup, and a groove 26 in the arm 15, said groove receiving the tongue and permitting the removal of the cup from the arm." The bottom of the cup has an orifice through which the spindle 16 passes and in which it is free to rotate. The cup 24 has a cylindrical inner surfacewhich surrounds and is concentric with the spindle and is separated from the cams 22 the surfaces of said cams and the inner surface of the cup 24 forming the ceiving chambers, the

suitably 'consides of segmental roll-re ends of whichare formed by the arms 23, each chamber havtral portion, as s cated in slots 29 each spring being between a roll 27 and a 20 not concentric with the inner surface of thecup. In each of said chambers-are two rolls 27 and 27 formed to have a fairly close fit in the wider inner surfaces thereof, t e arrangement beingsuch that when. either roll is moved toward the narrower central I ortion of the chamber containing it,.the r 1 binds on the sides of the chamber and locks the hub 19 to the cup.- The'rollsare normally pressed toward the narrower portions of the chambers by U shaped sprin s 28 (Figs. 5 and 10'- Fig. 8) 1n the'arms 23,

roll 27 and acting to press said rolls opposite directions. The springs, whlch 'may be conveniently made of wire, are confined against sidewise displacement by the sides j wardly projecting a N) engagement with the .cup and came,

the slots 29. 30 represents a collar having a hexagonal which receives a hexag- 16, the collar being collar-which .is located in the cup 24 and adaptedv to turn therein, has a serles of upfingers 33 which occupy the central-port ons of the roll-receiving chambers, each 1 er bein interposed between a roll 27 an a roll 2 iir said chamber. I term the collar 30 and its fingers an unlocking cup. here'is a slight'lost'. motion between the fingers 'andfl the rollsi. so that when the unlocking cup is turned in one di rection its fingers will-force the rolls of one series a' inst the arms 23 'and thus unlock or removethemiirom their locking a transmit .motion fthrough saidrolls to the arms and the ;h11 b. 19,-the rolls 0fv the other seniesfbeing' at th loose so that they -foll'ow.Ithe without resisting, rotationfoffi hulk 5;- The rolls as struts to transmit motionfroiiijthe' spindleandunlockingcuptothehub.

-the steering wheel encounters v in the track tendin "of the unl tion and thus impart a steerin the displacing force is e'xer of rolls'to turn to the wheel connected. with t the locking rolls.

portions of the chambers, and to 'bear simultaneously, against the outer and,

e samei tiine slightly' posite directions they are located in the direction indicated by the arrow marked thereon in Fig. 6, the rolls 27 act to lock the-hub. If the displa'cing force is in the opposite direction the rolls 27 become The springs 28 act promptly to'force the rolls to their locking position whenever occasion requires.

The described mechanism is so compact that it is adapted to be applied topractically all makes of automobiles, motor cycles and the removal of separated, the parts being separablellliplon.

the nut 35 which con the spindle 16 in lace. When the parts are being assembled a dust-excluding ring 36 is placed on the end of the on confined thereon by a" shoulder 3 hub 19.

The collar 30 forming the bottom'of the unlocking cu has an extended bearing on the bottom 0 the'fixed locking cup, so that the wear due to the turning movements of the unlocking cup and the weight supported thereby is reduced to the minimum.

The d utilized in a sailin vessel as a means for imparting. motionrom'a tiller or like controller to a rudder, the hub 19 be' suitably attached to 1 or connected wit the and is on the rudder.

' I clainif" other motor driven vehicles; When adapted,

escribed' steering mechanism may be i 1. A steering mechanism comprising a hub having a series of bisymmetrical cams and radial arms between said cams said.

arms having transverse. slots, U-shaped springs e aged with said slots and confined ther gy against-sidewise dis lacement, a locking cup surrounding the hu the cup and the hub cams forming roll-receivin chambers, each of which is wider at its en than at its center,'rolls in the end portions of said chambers in contact 'with the springs, and pressed simultaneously thereb m .op-

toward the centre ortion of the chambers, an unlocki cup avin fingers located in the centra portions 0 the chambers, between the rolls'therein, and a spindle engaged with the unlocking cup, and adapted to turn in the hub.

2. A steering mechanism supporting member having a spindle ournaIed in said brackets, a hub mounted on the spindle and provided with a series of cams and arms at its lower porcomprising a' ears or brackets,

tion, a non-rotating locking cup detachably engaged with one roundintg faces 0 of said brackets, and surthe hub-cams and arms, the surthe cams, arms and cup-forming.

rdl l-feceiving of which. is? on the hub, ind such as a; nu i'l', (an- 10 wider st it's'ends than at its center,zml lsl ljo-- gaged with ths"spmdle for detachsbly-ooncated insaid chambers, means for prsssmg" necting said pfirtsl said rolls. towardjhepentral-portion ofvj the. 'In testimony whreof I h a ve'afixed my chambers, an unlocking. cup engaged with. signature, in pfesenqe qf'tw-witnessesa the spgllxlldle to mm therewith and provided :DON CURTIS LUCE. wlth gets which coiipemte with the. roHs,- .Witnesses: a dust-excludin ring confined between/the C. F.5Bnowx,

margin of the coking cup and a shoulder P. W. 

